Firearms National Register

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any progress has been made, since the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2 November 1999 (WA 82), towards meeting the statutory requirement, which came into effect on 1 October 1997, to establish a central register database of persons who have applied for a firearm or shotgun certificate or to whom a firearm or shotgun certificate has been granted; and, if not, why not.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Development of the national firearms database currently features in the Police Information Technology Organisation's (PITO) business plan for 2000-2001. Development could not have begun earlier because the resources available were required for projects of even higher priority. The next step is for PITO to carry out a detailed impact assessment. This is due to begin in February and should be completed in April. It is not possible to give a firm implementation date at this stage but it is hoped that the system will be in place by the summer of 2001.

Immigration and Asylum Act Provisions: Consultations

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress they have made on consultation with regard to the implementation of the provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 relating to (i) civil penalty, (ii) flexibility and passenger information, (iii) facilities to be provided by port operators, and (iv) charging for additional immigration services.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Constructive and detailed discussions are proceeding with representative organisations. As part of that process, consultation papers relating to each of these provisions have been circulated to those representatives and others in the industry. Copies of the documents have been placed in the Library.

Police Numbers

Lord Tebbit: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	To what base number of police officers will the 5,000 extra officers announced by the Home Secretary be additional.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Police strength as at 31 March 1999 was 126,096. Under the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994, it is for chief constables to determine staffing levels in their forces within the resources available to them. Money from the Crime Fighting Fund will be used to recruit 5,000 police officers over and above the number forces had otherwise planned to recruit over the next three years, commencing in April 2000.

Criminal Justice System and Race

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 24 January (WA 174), whether they will publish the study of race and the Crown Prosecution Service, completed by Dr Mhlanga, before introducting any new legislation on mode of trial.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Crown Prosecution Service published a report in October 1999 covering the main findings of the research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council undertaken by Dr Bonny Mhlanga. The Home Office are discussing with Dr Mhlanga what further data from his study could be published which might assist in the current debate on mode of trial.

Criminal Justice System and Race

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 24 January (WA 175), whether they consider that the evidence given by Ms Marion Fitzgerald of the Home Office to the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice (Cm 2263, July 1993, Research Study No. 20) no longer accurately summarises the problems of institutional racism in relation to the administration of criminal justice in England and Wales.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Her Majesty's Government considers that the submission by Dr Fitzgerald to the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice (Cm 2263, July 1993, Research Study No. 20) did not consider the evidence for or against institutional racism in the administration of justice in England and Wales at that time. Dr Fitzgerald did not use that term in her submission, although she pointed out that there was scope for discrimination in the exercise of discretion by criminal justice agencies and in the legal and non-legal criteria which influence decisions during the criminal justice process.
	As would be expected of any analysis produced over six years ago, Dr Fitzgerald's account needs to be considered in the light of subsequent research and events. Any update would need to take into account the new definition of institutional racism proposed in the Macpherson report on the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the work being done throughout the criminal justice system to respond to its recommendations.
	One of the recommendations is the extension of the Race Relations (Amendment) Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament. It will make both direct and indirect racial discrimination unlawful in respect of public functions not previously covered by the Race Relations Act 1976, including law enforcement functions. It will also place a positive statutory duty on public authorities, not just local authorities as now, to promote race equality. How the duty will operate in practice and be enforced will be the subject of consultation. Amendments on indirect discrimination and the duty to promote race equality will be brought forward when the Bill reaches Committee stage in the House of Commons.

Probation Officer Numbers

Lord Windlesham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many of the 17,000 members of the staff of the Probation Service, referred to by Lord Bassam of Brighton in answer to a Question on 24 January (H.L. Deb., col. 1324), are qualified Probation Officers.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: There were 7,182 qualified probation officers (full-time equivalents) in post on 30 June 1999, the most recent date for which figures are available.

Influenza

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will estimate the proportion of those who have received vaccination against influenza who have subsequently developed influenza, and the proportion of those who have developed influenza who had been vaccinated against it, in respect of this winter's influenza season to date.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: ; This information is not routinely collected and would only be available through clinical trials. The content of the vaccine changes from year to year to reflect the strains of influenza virus that global surveillance predicts will be circulating. Its effectiveness therefore depends on how well the vaccine strains match those that cause disease each winter. This season there was a good match against the influenza viruses prevalent in the United Kingdom. The effectiveness of the vaccine also varies with age and with the strain of influenza. Overall, the vaccine is estimated to be around 70-80 per cent effective. Other respiratory viruses co-circulate with influenza, causing clinically similar illness and these are not prevented by influenza immunisation.

Primary Care Groups: Midwife Representation

Baroness Cumberlege: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will clarify their arrangements for midwives to be represented on primary care groups where there is no midwifery presence.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We have made clear in guidance that we expect all community nurses and general practitioners to work together in partnership to ensure the success of primary care groups (PCGs). Community nurses is used as an inclusive term in guidance to encompass all nurses, health visitors and midwives who are mainly employed in the community. It is a matter for community nurses locally, working with their health authority, to decide how they will be represented on the boards of PCGs.
	PCG boards contain nurses who have a range of broad-based skills and specialities, including midwifery. Additional nurses with specialist skills have also been co-opted onto the boards.

Cardiac Operations, Great Ormond Street Hospital

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 16th December (WA 59), how many cardiac operations were performed by Great Ormond Street Hospital National Health Service Trust during the quarters ended 31 March and 30 September 1999.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The requested information is not yet available for the quarter ending 31 March 1999. For the quarter ending 30 September 1999, the number of finished consultant episodes for cardiac operations in Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust is 105.

"Living Wills"

Baroness Miller of Hendon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What consultation they propose on legislation giving validity to "living wills"; and with whom; and
	What plans they have for legislation giving validity to "living wills".

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government sought views on advance statements (sometimes known as "living wills") about healthcare in the 1997 public consultation document, Who Decides? Making Decisions on behalf of Mentally Incapacitated Adults.
	In the Lord Chancellor's policy statement, Making Decisions--the Government's proposals for making decisions on behalf of mentally incapacitated adults, the Government stated that they had proposed not to legislate on advance statements at the present time.

International Action on Humanitarian Crises

Lord Hardy of Wath: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which United Kingdom proposals for international action in response to humanitarian crises they are discussing with international partners.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My right honourable friend the Prime Minister made clear in his speech at the Mansion House on 22 November that the international community needs an agreed framework on when and how it is appropriate to intervene in the face of massive violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The United Nations Charter declares that armed force should not be used, save in the common interest. We need to build consensus on what that common interest is and how we define it.
	We believe that the development of a set of pragmatic understandings on action in response to humanitarian crises would help the Security Council--acting on behalf of the Members of the United Nations--to reach consensus when such crises occur, thus ensuring effective and timely action by the international community. In this context, we have put to the UN Secretary-General and to key international partners a set of ideas, of which the key elements are:
	first, any intervention is by definition a failure of prevention. Force should always be the last resort;
	second, the immediate responsibility for halting violence rests with the state in which it occurs;
	but, third, when faced with an immediate and overwhelming humanitarian catastrophe and a government that has demonstrated itself unwilling or unable to prevent it, the international community should take action;
	and finally, any use of force in this context must be collective, proportionate, likely to achieve its objective, and carried out in accordance with international law.
	The detail of these preliminary ideas is still under discussion with partners. Once we have had time to take account of their views and develop our proposals further, we will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar (Eriskay Causeway) Order Confirmation Bill

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether a statement has been made under the Human Rights Act 1998 in connection with the Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar (Eriskay Causeway) Order Confirmation Bill.

Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale: I have made a statement under Section 19(1)(a) of the Human Rights Act 1998 that, in my view, the provisions of the Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar (Eriskay Causeway) Order Confirmation Bill are compatible with the convention rights. A copy of the statement has been placed in the Library of the House.

Public Buildings: Fine Art

Lord Carlile of Berriew: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether it is their policy to include a fine art component in the budgeting for and construction of public buildings and other public works.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government have no general policy on the provision of fine art in budgeting for and constructing public buildings. The Government encourages the involvement of artists throughout the design and construction process, but it is for individual client departments to decide whether they wish works of art to be included, and to budget for them accordingly. The Government Art Collection displays works of art by British artists in major government buildings, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides core funding to the Royal Society of Arts for its Art for Architecture scheme.

Royal Parks Agency

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	(a) Whether the meeting between the Friends of the Royal Park Forum with Mr Alan Howarth, Minister of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport took place as scheduled on Monday, 24 January; (b) what issues were discussed; and (c) what action will be taken by the Government as a result of such discussions.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: I confirm that this meeting took place on 24 January. The issues discussed at the meeting were the Review of the Royal Parks Agency, next year's Royal Parks Agency Corporate Plan, including funding, and the review of the 1999 season of events in the Royal Parks. The views of the forum will be taken carefully into account when Ministers take decisions on all these subjects.

Royal Parks Agency

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they intend to publish their recommendations following the Review of the Royal Parks Agency.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The conclusions and recommendations of the review, and Ministers' decisions on them, will be announced to Parliament and published as soon as Ministers have had the opportunity to consider them.

New Opportunities Fund and Non-maintained Special Schools

Lord Baker of Dorking: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps have been taken to ensure that funding from the New Opportunities Fund will in future be made available to non-maintained special schools such as Dorton House School, Sevenoaks, Kent, which provides education and training for blind and visually-impaired children and students.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: NOF funding is made available to particular groups according to the nature of the initiative concerned. Funding for future initiatives will be made available to relevant groups, following consultation, on the same principle. Non-maintained special schools are currently eligible for funding from the Out of School Hours programme but not for the ICT Training for Teachers programme.

Tourism Industry Training for Disabled People

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the statement by the Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale on 4 November 1999 (H.L. Deb., col. 1097): (a) what meetings have been held since that date between Ministers of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security to consider what help will be provided by the two departments for the training of disabled people to take up jobs in the tourism industry; and (b) what measures will be taken by the departments as a result of those meetings?

Baroness Blackstone: Since 4 November 1999, Ministers of the two departments have met regularly and are actively considering what help could be provided nationally through the New Deal for Disabled People taking account of emerging findings from the pilots. Ministers hope to make an announcement on this in the near future. In these meetings they have not discussed the tourism industry specifically. However, Ministers are aware of the importance of tourism to the economy of this country and the variety of employment opportunities available within the industry for disabled people, given the right level of training and support. Since the pilots began in autumn 1998, disabled people have found jobs in a wide range of industries, including tourism and other service industries.

Legislation: Compatibility with EU Law

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will introduce a practice for Ministers to inform Parliament whether they consider that primary and secondary legislation being considered by Parliament is compatible with the obligations of the UK under European Community law.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: This is not necessary. The Government support the rule of law in the European Union and will not put legislation before Parliament which they consider to be incompatible with the United Kingdom's obligations under EC law.